Differences about the Government's future economic direction have emerged between Fianna Fáil and the Progressive Democrats, following separate party meetings held yesterday to assess last month's poor election performances, write Mark Hennessy and Arthur Beesley.
During a six-hour meeting, the Fianna Fáil Parliamentary Party made it clear that the Government would have to ease spending constraints in the next Budget.
However, the PD leader, Ms Harney, during a lengthy speech to a meeting of her parliamentary party and local election candidates, concentrated on the pressing need to reform State services and for responsibility in public expenditure.
More than 30 speakers at the Fianna Fáil meeting made it clear that the party continues to suffer criticism from the public over the increasing cost of living and the Government's perceived failure to respond.
In particular, TDs highlighted the need to do more to cut childcare costs, provide more rural services, and restore the first-time homebuyers' grant.
They also urged action to restore Community Employment Schemes, while "the perception of over-regulation" would also have to be tackled, they said.
An investigation of the party's internal structures is to be launched in the coming months following criticisms, led by Dublin North West TD Mr Pat Carey, that the party organisation is moribund in many areas.
The Minister for Finance, Mr McCreevy's handling of the economy was lauded repeatedly by TDs, even as they urged him to loosen the purse-strings.
Despite repeated criticism of the PDs by Fianna Fáil figures in the immediate aftermath of the election, there was no direct criticism of the junior coalition partner yesterday.
However, the PD Minister for Justice, Mr McDowell implicitly attacked Fianna Fáil, saying the electronic voting and Punchestown Equestrian Centre controversies - both led by FF ministers - had hurt the Government. "We are a party which suffered for being part of a Government to whom the electorate wanted to deliver a very strong message," he said.
The tone of yesterday's Fianna Fáil meeting indicates that the decision to hold a succession of "think-ins" since the local and European elections has done much to absorb backbench anger. Three TDs, Dublin South West's Mr Charlie O'Connor, Tipperary North's Ms Maire Hoctor and Sligo/Leitrim's Dr Jimmy Devins reported back on backbenchers' demands for action on health, education and social welfare issues.
"There is an acceptance that there is no one single issue. There is a whole variety of single issues," said Mr Séamus Kirk, the chairman of the Fianna Fáil Parliamentary Party.
The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, who has promised to hear the private views of all of his TDs, senators and MEPs, will meet between 16 and 20 individually this week. During two 20-minute speeches at yesterday's Leinster House meeting, Mr Ahern offered to continue to host one-to-one meetings next week.
Recognising criticism of the PDs' failure to contest any European Parliament seats, Mr McDowell said the party must be seen to take part in all future elections.
While there was no direct criticism of the party leadership, speakers at the PD meeting in Newbridge, Co Kildare, complained about a perception that the PDs were "too easy" on Fianna Fáil.
Sources who were at the meeting said the failure to deliver decisive results on health reform had handed the initiative to the Opposition. Some 88 of the party's 127 candidates in the local elections attended the meeting.
Ms Harney restated the party's liberal economic values and commitment to reform, but she departed from the text to say that the PDs needed to address problems with its image.
While speakers from the floor complained that the party was perceived to be right wing, hard and uncaring, Ms Harney said the party had to emphasise its achievements in Government.
Arriving at the meeting, Ms Harney told reporters that voters had punished the party over decentralisation. "It cost us a fair number of seats in DúLaoghaire. On the doorsteps, decentralisation was raised and the fact that we are seen to be too close to Fianna Fáil was mentioned," said one party member.